About Quality

We use some pretty old-fashioned technology at Greeley Hat Works. We create our hats by hand, often with antique tools. We also have have some pretty old-fashioned beliefs. We take pride in our work. We stand behind our work and represent it fairly.

It's unfortunate, but the X's marked in most people’s hats don't really mean much anymore. In a simpler time they did, but the standard became corrupt and now it's pretty hard to take to the bank.

The quality of materials in a hat are measured, in part, by how much beaver is in the mix. Our top-of-the-line hats are pure beaver.

Back in the day when trappers began trading their beaver pelts to the eastern markets, the higher the quality pelts received more X's (and more dollars). This, in turn, was used in grading the quality of hats.

In 1940 a 5X hat was of high quality and cost $50.00, $5.00 per X. A 10X hat was 100% beaver and cost $100.00.

Well, the less scrupulous folks in the hat industry saw an opportunity.

By the late 1960's the X's were going higher and the quality was going lower. Now, you can buy a 100X, 200X, or even a 500X. Some of the “big boys” offer a 1000 X— and it may not even be 100% pure beaver.

Beaver is the best quality hair/fur for hats — not the cheapest. Beaver hats are thinner, lighter weight, more weather resistant and durable. They last longer, clean up better and hold their shape better. Anytime you take beaver out of a hat and put in any other type of hair (even cashmere) you lower the quality.

Today's X's in hats aren't standardized — one company's 20X could be the same as another companies 5X.

Here at Greeley Hat Works, we keep it simple. Pure Beaver is exactly that, and of the highest quality. 5X to Beaver Blend are blends that we feel good about and can offer at a lower cost. All of our hats are built one at a time, by trained hands. Nothing else would be good enough.